


baby's first christmas

by ndnickerson



Category: Nancy Drew - Carolyn Keene
Genre: Christmas, Established Relationship, F/M, Ficlet, Fluff and Angst, Kid Fic, Living Together, Parenthood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-19
Updated: 2014-11-19
Packaged: 2018-10-18 20:14:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10624320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ndnickerson/pseuds/ndnickerson
Summary: Nancy and Ned's first Christmas with their new baby is not at all what Nancy expected.





	

**Author's Note:**

> First published at my Nancy Drew fic tumblr, nancydrewdiary.

The image in her head was far different from reality.

It was the first Christmas since she and Ned had started living together, the first Christmas since their daughter Christiana had been born. They were going to get married—probably, eventually, since they were quasi-engaged and Edith was already treating Nancy like her daughter-in-law—but for now they weren’t. The apartment was small and Ned didn’t have much money yet, and Nancy had taken a job with a call center so she could work from home and take care of the baby. It wasn’t what she wanted to be doing forever, not by far, but at least they were surviving.

But surviving meant that when she went to the store, she saw a million and one things she wished she could buy for Chrissy, and she couldn’t. She saw a black velvet and red satin dress that would have been perfect for Christmas day, a giraffe rattle, a smiling stuffed monkey, but she and Ned were only budgeting for diapers and wipes and other necessary supplies. At least Edith and James and Nancy’s father spoiled Chrissy; she had what had seemed like plenty of onesies, but when Nancy was changing Chrissy’s outfit three times a day, she always seemed to be on the verge of running out.

Nancy sniffled when she saw the Christmas trees on display, draped with twinkling lights and garland. Ned had been so busy and Nancy had been so exhausted that it was already the second week of December and she hadn’t even put up so much as a stocking.

She trudged up the stairs to their apartment with the shopping bags in her hands; the elevator was broken and hadn’t yet been repaired. Nancy had felt bad about asking Edith to babysit, but Edith had been so nice about it; she had insisted on driving into the city and staying at their apartment so Nancy wouldn’t have to go out of her way.

As she pulled her key out of her purse and began to juggle bags so she could slot it into the lock, she heard murmuring from behind the door and wondered if Edith was on the phone, or talking to Chrissy. Then footsteps came toward the door, and she was relieved when the deadbolt clicked back and the door opened.

“Hi Nancy,” Hannah said with a smile. “Welcome back.”

Nancy blinked, then raised her eyebrows. Of course if Edith had been called away, Hannah could have come to help; Nancy had been running errands for a few hours, so it was possible. But she saw Edith holding Chrissy against her shoulder, shushing her as she kissed the crown of her stocking-capped head.

Then she saw it. A real, large pine tree in the corner of the living room near the window, decorated with twinkling lights and garland and silver and gold ornaments. Three stockings above the fireplace. Five or six wrapped gifts had been placed on the tree skirt under the tree.

Nancy’s eyes filled with tears, and she looked back and forth between Hannah and Edith. “Guys,” she whispered, shaking her head. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Merry Christmas, Nan.”

“Merry Christmas, honey,” Edith said with a smile.

When Ned came home, he found Nancy and Chrissy on the couch. Finally Nancy had felt festive enough to tune the radio to a station playing Christmas songs, and she was asleep with her head propped up on the arm of the couch, the baby cuddled up to her chest, a protective arm around her.

Nancy slowly opened her eyes and gave him a smile as he put down his briefcase. “Looks like Santa came early, huh,” he commented, looking around.

“Santa Edith and Santa Hannah,” Nancy confirmed as she slowly sat up, holding the baby. “I don’t know what we’d do without them.”

“Me either,” Ned said, and as Chrissy opened her eyes and yawned, Ned came over and reached for her. He was clearly exhausted, but the lines of his face softened when he looked down at Nancy, when he looked into the face of his daughter. “Hey sweetheart,” he crooned softly, cuddling her to him and stroking her back.

“Merry Christmas, Ned,” Nancy murmured, looking up at him.

He sat down beside her and wrapped his unoccupied arm around her shoulders, and she rested her head against him. “Merry Christmas, my two best girls in the world.”


End file.
